Lager Style Ale - Recipe Advice Needed

[Microphobik]

Hi,

I am looking to brew an easy drinking ale for friends at a party. Something that would not be too much for the majority of non-craft-beer drinkers that will be there, but also something I can enjoy and feel proud of. I've looked at a lot of blonde ale recipes but notice that they all seem to be a bit more of a subdued British style, relying on a dash of crystal and just a bittering hop, often English. I made one and wasn't so fond of the crystal with such a subdued hop profile.

I was looking for something a little more like a Pilsner, with a fairly subdued hop profile, but as a two row based ale. But the fact that I never saw anything like that in the dozens of recipes I looked for made me wonder if there was a clash there that I might not be aware of. I was also hoping to avoid a Kolsch yeast, purely because liquid yeast is a little tricky for me to get where I am, and the low temps might be a bit tricky.

So I wondered if a recipe like this might work out, or if I might be missing something. I don't have enough time to get this terribly wrong and try again before the party. Any advice would be appreciated.

23 Liters:

4.7 KG 2 Row (85.5%)
400 grams Munich Light (7.3%)
400 grams malted wheat

50 grams (21.5 IBUs) Saaz for 30
15 grams (3.2 IBUs) Sazz for 15

Danstar BRY-97 Cal Ale yeast

Any thoughts?

 

[RonPopeil]

most people think cali ale has a distinct ale quality though it is very clean.

if wyeast is available to you their bohemian lager yeast can be run at cool ale temps with good success. if not i would consider a well attenuating english strain fermented cool and overpitched quite a bit to avoid esters. cali ale will work at cooler temps but i've heard some people complaining about it at cooler temps.

i operate in farenheit so bare with me here. according to my knowledge i would break it down like this.

>65F cali ale
58-65F over pitch an english or try the bohemian lager

 

[stevedasleeve]

Try this: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f62/notatalla-kolsch-210890/

 

[Microphobik]

most people think cali ale has a distinct ale quality though it is very clean.

if wyeast is available to you their bohemian lager yeast can be run at cool ale temps with good success. if not i would consider a well attenuating english strain fermented cool and overpitched quite a bit to avoid esters. cali ale will work at cooler temps but i've heard some people complaining about it at cooler temps.

i operate in farenheit so bare with me here. according to my knowledge i would break it down like this.

>65F cali ale
58-65F over pitch an english or try the bohemian lager

Thanks. I'll consider other yeasts. is there any clash with that malt profile and noble hops, or is the reason you don't see it much in a blonde recipe simply that the yeasts available at Ale temps don't work as well with a malt and yeast profile like that? If anyone has a nice more german-ish blonde recipe, I'd love to see it. Something that won't offend the budweiser drinkers, but which I'll enjoy more.

 

[Microphobik]

Try this: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f62/notatalla-kolsch-210890/

Thanks, I might give something like this a try. I haven't used S-04 before. is it not more estery than would be ideal for a beer like this? Or am I assuming wrong?

 

[stevedasleeve]

I've brewed this with S-05 with little flavor difference. S-04 is clean at 66 and lower. Note that with S-05 there is more hop presence ( which I prefer actually)

 

[RonPopeil]

Thanks. I'll consider other yeasts. is there any clash with that malt profile and noble hops, or is the reason you don't see it much in a blonde recipe simply that the yeasts available at Ale temps don't work as well with a malt and yeast profile like that? If anyone has a nice more german-ish blonde recipe, I'd love to see it. Something that won't offend the budweiser drinkers, but which I'll enjoy more.

Thanks, I might give something like this a try. I haven't used S-04 before. is it not more estery than would be ideal for a beer like this? Or am I assuming wrong?

i don't think you'd have a yeast/grainbill clash. i don't know many situations where that's an issue really. using munich and saaz is a bit different. saaz is usually more grassy and spicey. munich is known for breadiness. i would relate it to crust from a darker bread. you're not using a lot of saaz for flavor so it may not come through too much. if it were my beer i'd look at willamette or hallertauer before saaz but that's just my two p.

appeasing the budweiser crowd is a touch different. i wouldn't bother with any flavor additions with the hops. just bitter it a bit to cut the sweetness down. honestly i wouldn't even bitter it enough to balance it. the munich is going to add some color that the more sensitive pallates might fight offensive. might want to try vienna. you'll get the melanoiden (bread crust) boost but less color or just add a half # of melanoiden malt.

 

[Microphobik]

Thanks, that's all really good advice. I was worried about the color as well. I'll bet you're right about the Saaz and Munich, but I'm kind of a fan of Saaz. What would you suggest if i was going to create an easy drinking Ale with Saaz?

 

[Microphobik]

Okay, I placed an order for the grain bill. Going to go with 5 kg of 2 Row and 400 grams of Vienna. Still thinking Saaz, but maybe with a distribution of 60, 30, and 10 for a total IBU of about 25 - 30. And I think I'll use US-05 just because I've been having good luck with it. Fingers crossed.

 

[tallguybrewer]

Also, check out the recipe section for Yooper's Fizzy Yellow Beer. Good stuff.

 

[bgburdman9]

I made a blonde with bry97 and it is as clear as lagers I have made but it has an slightly off character to it, not as clean as I expected. Not sure if it's from yeast or something else in my process.

 

[Microphobik]

I made a blonde with bry97 and it is as clear as lagers I have made but it has an slightly off character to it, not as clean as I expected. Not sure if it's from yeast or something else in my process.

Thanks for that... I used it once on a batch that didn't turn out, but because I didn't get a big enough boil on a Pilsner malt based recipe, so I couldn't tell how the yeast worked on it. Too much DMS in the batch and I had to dump. That said, I didn't notice any off flavors aside from the corn character. Seemed to be clean enough beneath it. The manager of my home brew shop has recommended it a number of times and seems fond of it. But seem to be having the best luck with just good old US-05 on most batches.